Guest Writer

The day after Thanksgiving will likely be filled with leftovers and shopping for many people. However, those living in the state of Georgia have a state holiday on their calendars, and it is not so they can get the best Black Friday deals. The state will be celebrating Robert E. Lee (months before his birthday).

States that choose to celebrate Robert E. Lee have celebrated the war figure on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the past. Every state in the United States celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but not all of them celebrate Robert E. Lee’s Birthday. In three states Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is also Robert E. Lee Day, but Georgia has parted from that tradition, giving Lee his very own day in the state.

Officials in Georgia have coined the words “Confederate Memorial Day,” and “Robert E. Lee’s Birthday” from the state’s official 2016 holiday calendar, replacing the designations for the days off with the words “state holiday” instead.

The change was implemented earlier this year and many government employees didn’t know until they saw the list of state holidays in an email. Employees will be getting the days off, but, according to Brian Robinson, spokesman for Gov. Nathan Deal, those days will not be known by their Civil War roots.

“There will be a state holiday on that day,” Brian Robinson said. “Those so inclined can observe Confederate Memorial Day and remember those who died in that conflict.”. In the new 2015 calendar, April 27 is listed as Confederate Memorial Day and Nov. 27 as Lee’s birthday.

Georgia’s governor signed a proclamation declaring that each year April Confederate History Month and April 27 Confederate Memorial Day will be celebrated, as well as, a proclamation for Robert E. Lee’s birthday. Robert E Lee Day will take the Friday after Thanksgiving in Georgia is an official state holiday.

The announcement to change the day to the day after Thanksgiving came after the Confederate Battle flag was taken down in many places throughout the south this year after shooter Dylann Root shot and killed nine people in a Charleston church.

Though many places have been receiving criticism for it, a good amount of retailers will be opening their doors on Thanksgiving Day for shoppers to get a kick start on their holiday shopping. While Black Friday has been the traditional day to shop, most stores will be opening earlier than the usual in hopes of luring in early-bird holiday shoppers. Most stores are now open on Thanksgiving Day, but there are still a few retailers keeping the tradition of letting the employees spend the holiday with their families.

These decisions are a thing of controversy. REI, for instance, received a flood of praise for its firm decision to stay closed on what ShopperTrak predicts will be the busiest sales day of the season. Many consumers see employees being forced to work on a holiday centered around family to be a shame, and they blame the company for doing so.

Many shoppers claim that because of the convenience of Internet shopping, there is no need for retailers to stay open on Thanksgiving Day. As a result of the retailers being open, many employees are scheduled to work and forced to make their families take a backseat. In 2014, an estimated 134 million people shopped online and in stores over Thanksgiving weekend, according to the National Retail Federation. Friday was the busiest day of that weekend, with 87 million shoppers making purchases on the day known as Black Friday.

So, what is open this Thursday (Thanksgiving) and what is not? It may be hard to decipher which retailers are maintaining the traditional values or are pushing their employees to work the holidays.

Many consumers will be taking advantage of the earlier opening times this holiday. Although it means they will have to leave the dinner table early and go and stand on long lines, many people will go out in search of the best deals.

If you are pondering going out this weekend to cross a few items off your holiday gift list, be sure you have a plan of action. If you are going to one of the stores that are open on Thanksgiving or Black Friday, be sure you know exactly what you are going in the store to get. Many retailers map out where hot items are located. Get a map and have a plan so that you have a successful shopping trip with as little stress as possible.

Black Friday deals are pouring in and TVs are leading the pack in the biggest bargains. However, televisions are out of stock quickly during Black Friday sales both in stores and online. In some cases, you can only see the deals through mobile apps on your smartphone or tablet. Here are a few of the “hidden” TV deals this Black Friday:

Amazon picked an unnamed 50-inch flat-screen TV selling for a very low price of $150 on Nov. 26, as its overall top deal. This is the cheapest 50-inch TV the company has ever put on sale for its price. Prior to this year, $240 was the lowest Amazon went. This year’s deal beats every other Black Friday deal posted for a similar size HDTV.

Unfortunately, you won’t see this deal if you’re shopping online. Amazon will only offer the TV via its mobile app. Most deals that will be mentioned here are only available on Thanksgiving and Black Friday through the mobile apps. A Toshiba HDTV that’s just one inch smaller will also sell for $150 in limited quantities at Best Buy.

If you also want a big 70-inch Vizio TV, it will be sold for $898 at Walmart. This is $300 less than the previous low for a 70-inch model. A couple of 70-inch Vizio TVs on Bestbuy.com shows a range of models between $1,365 to $2,789.

Other Black Friday bargains:

Media players from Roku and Amazon are being offered at great prices. The entry-level Roku, which normally sells for $50, will be sold for only $20 at HHGregg. Amazon’s Fire TV streaming player, normally $99, is on sale for $75 through the company’s website.

Cell phones are another popular Black Friday buy. Consumers that want to buy phones as gifts, but hesitate because of the cost may like some of the deals this year. This year, Wal-Mart will offer $250 gift card for the iPhone 6S, bringing the effective cost down to $400. Staples is competing with Walmart’s deal by offering the iPhone with $500 in credits for the Samsung Galaxy S6, paired with Verizon service.

Target is offering a $150 gift card with the $499 purchase of the Apple iPad Air 2, which effectively lowers the price to $349. Meijer has a $125 store credit for the $350 iPad Mini 4. The lowest priced tablet is Amazon’s 7″ Fire tablet, which the company has place on sale for just $35.

If any of these deals are on your list this holiday season, be sure to check out the online options. Often times, companies like Amazon, Best Buy and other electronic-based companies offer greater deals through the Internet.

The most effective way to make sure you are getting the best deals this Black Friday is to research each store’s offerings and make sure that if there is something on your list for the holidays, be sure you are going the best place to get it. Happy shopping!

What do you do when dad wants to leave everything in his estate to you but you know your brother is going to contest the will?

When a will is contested because family members don’t agree with how a family member’s estate is being parceled out, it can get ugly and very expensive – and gut wrenching to see the fight through to resolution. No one really wants to engage in that kind of battle, especially when you are grieving, but there are steps that beneficiaries can take now before their parent or other family member passes to preclude protracted conflict.

There are purposeful steps now that one can take to at least reduce the pain of the process later. First step is to have a will drawn. But, don’t make the mistakes that many others have made in getting Dad to do a new will. Here are some do’s and don’ts:

Don’t use your own attorney – suggest that your Dad hire his own attorney to draft his will; if your father has his own lawyer that does not also represent you, then use him or have him recommend the estate planning lawyer;

Don’t rely on the family attorney that could possibly be unduly influenced by family members who also have business affairs with him or her.

Don’t be in the room with your Dad if your other siblings are not when they are discussing the will. You never want to be accused of influencing the process.

Do suggest that the will signing be videotaped to demonstrate that Dad was of sound mind and judgement at the time.

Do suggest that dad say in his will that he is excluding someone from the will but do not say why.

Do take steps to include your brother in activities with your Dad. Keeping them apart is a hallmark indication of undue influence. Make sure that Dad includes your brother in invitations and even invite her to family functions that you are throwing.

Do make sure to remember that the will is just one part of the estate planning process. But many assets such as joint accounts go to loved ones outside of the probate process. Thus if there are joint accounts between your Dad and brother, remember to remind him to go to the bank or financial institution to change the designation. Of course, be certain not to attend or to drive him to the bank.

Do remember to check beneficiary designations as annuities, IRA’s and 401(k)’s pass to the designated beneficiary rather than through his will.

Do remember to make sure that the insurance is paid how your father would want. If he included your brother way back when, make sure he calls to have the change of beneficiary handled. Of course, don’t be on the call and don’t act as the witness on the change of beneficiary form.

Plan now to avoid the costly and challenging ordeal that would otherwise result from a poorly planned estate.

Jay J. Freireich, Esq. is a member of the wills, trusts and estates practice group at Brach Eichler LLC in Roseland, N.J. Contact him at jfreireich@bracheichler.com .

Instead of focusing on a single weekend this November, most retailers plan to extend their sales and special deals to cover the entire holiday season. One of the largest companies planning to do this is Walmart.

Pre-Black Friday Deals

The retail giant will be kicking off the holiday specials in early November. Walmart announced on Nov. 6 a new Season’s Best Online Special promotion that will run every single day throughout the rest of the holiday shopping season.

90-day “Rollbacks”

Walmart also kicked off more 90-day “Rollbacks,” discounting items like electronics and baking essentials, which will be available on its Daily Savings Center website. These deals will only be available online, and will include special buys and rollbacks. The items included in the promotion will have their prices slashed for at least 90 days, or while supplies last. Each day offers 10 brand new online specials. Many think that the retail giant is trying to compete with other online retailers like Amazon and eBay.

Walmart will be launching the specials with sales that include video games, electronics and toys. Not only that, they will offer buyers bonus rollbacks at Black Friday and Cyber Monday-like prices to kick off the Season’s Best Online Specials event. Here are some of the best deals included in Walmart’s special online offers:

• $429 PlayStation 4 Call Of Duty III Limited Edition Bundle with Madden or FIFA 16 Game (Game Stop has the same price on this, but it does not include Madden or FIFA 16)

• $399 Xbox One 1TB FIFA 16 Limited Edition Bundle with headset and controller (Other places have the same price, but the bundle does not include a headset)

All of the offers except the Star Wars clock have free shipping available. These online specials also offer other products such as popular items in the electronics, home, apparel and other categories. Visit Walmart’s Daily Savings Center page to learn more.

Target plans to be offering a similar opportunity for early shoppers. Both Walmart and Target started their pre-holiday sales on Nov. 1. Black Friday may be a thing of the past soon, or the retailers may simply be catering to online shoppers and people who like to hit the stores sooner than the day after Thanksgiving. Either way, the deals and prices (and the amount of time they are available) are an amazing way to save this holiday season.

Veterans Day will be observed on Nov. 11 and restaurants throughout the nation will be honoring veterans and active members of the U.S. Armed forces free and discounted meals from selected restaurants across the nation.

This annual federal holiday will be celebrated on a Wednesday this year, therefore most offers are valid only on Nov. 11. It is important to check the details of each deal to make the most out of it. Veterans and active members of the military and their families should anticipate long lines at restaurants that are offering a holiday special.

Many of the restaurants don’t offer reservations, however, so it is a good idea to call ahead and ask when peak times are. It is also required that you bring a proof of service in exchange for a free meal or discount. Acceptable forms of identification include a United States Uniform Services Retired Identification Card, U.S. Uniform Services Identification Card, Current Leave and Earnings Statement or Veterans Organization Card. Check out some of the establishments participating below:

• Applebee’s has been offering free meals on Veterans Day for several years. They offer a free meal that consists of seven different entrees. The meals DO NOT include a beverage.

• IHOP is offering veterans and active military free Red, White and Blue pancakes, or Red, White and Blue pancakes combo plate including eggs, bacon and hashed browns. Inquire at your nearest IHOP location to make sure they are participating in the event.

• Golden Corral is giving out free meals and a beverage to military retirees, veterans, National Guard or Reserves between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m on Nov. 11.

• Spaghetti Warehouse will be posting a coupon on their website and on Facebook on Nov. 3. Print the coupons and get one free entry when you buy another of equal or lesser value.

• Red Lobster will be offering free appetizers or desserts to all U.S. Military members and veterans from Nov. 9 to 12.

• Take advantage of On The Border’s “Create Your Own Combo” meal on Nov. 11 with proof of service.

• Bob Evans honors veterans a choice of free breakfast items from a special menu.

Be sure that if you are going to participate in one or more of these free meals that you don’t forget to tip your server. If none of the above catch your eye, there are plenty more opportunities for a free or discounted meal on Veterans Day on Military Wallet or Military Benefits websites.